The etymology of the word Denmark, and especially the relationship between Danes and Denmark and the unifying of Denmark as a single kingdom, is a subject which attracts debate.[13][14]
This is centered primarily around the prefix "Dan"
and whether it refers to the Dani
or a historical person Dan
and the exact meaning of the -"mark"
ending. The issue is further complicated by a number of references to various Dani people in Scandinavia or other places in Europe in Greek
and Roman
accounts (like Ptolemy,
Jordanes, and
Gregory of Tours), as well as
mediaeval literature
(like Adam of Bremen,
Beowulf,
Widsith
and Poetic Edda).

Most handbooks derive[15]
the first part of the word, and the name of the people, from a word meaning "flat land", related to German Tenne
"threshing floor", English den
"cave", Sanskritdhánuṣ-
(धनुस्; "desert"). The -mark
is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see marches), with probable references to the border forests in south
Schleswig,[16]

The first recorded use of the word
Danmark
within Denmark itself is found on the two Jelling stones, which are
runestones
believed to have been erected by Gorm the Old
(c. 955) and Harald Bluetooth
(c. 965). The larger stone of the two is popularly cited as Denmark's baptismal certificate (dåbsattest), though both use the word "Denmark", in the form of
accusativeᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ
"tanmaurk" ([danmɒrk]) on the large stone, and
genitive
"tanmarkar" (pronounced [danmarkaɽ]) on the small stone.[17]
The inhabitants of Denmark are there called "tani" ([danɪ]), or "Danes", in the accusative.

A short note[21]
about the Dani
in "Getica" by historian
Jordanes
is believed by some[who?]
to be an early mention of the Danes,[22]
one of the ethnic groups
from whom the modern Danish people
are descended. The Danevirke
defence structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward,[23]
and the sheer size of the construction efforts in 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king.[23]
The new runic alphabet
was first used around the same time, and Ribe, the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about 700.

In 1397, Denmark entered into a
personal union
with Norway
and Sweden, united under Queen
Margaret I. The three countries were to be treated as equals in the union. However, even from the start Margaret may not have been so idealistic—treating Denmark as the clear "senior" partner of the union.[25]
Thus, much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history
revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on 17 June 1523, as Swedish KingGustav Vasa
conquered the city of Stockholm.

After Sweden permanently broke away from the Kalmar Union in 1523, Denmark tried on two occasions to reassert control over Sweden. The first was in the
Northern Seven Years War
which lasted from 1563 until 1570. The second occasion was the Kalmar War
when King Christian IV
attacked Sweden in 1611 but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing Sweden to return to the union with Denmark. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a war indemnity
of 1 million silver riksdaler
to Denmark, an amount known as the Älvsborg ransom.[26]

In the 1645
Treaty of Brømsebro, Denmark surrendered Halland,
Gotland, the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. In 1657, king
Frederick III
declared war on Sweden and marched on Bremen-Verden. This led to a massive Danish defeat and the armies of King
Charles X Gustav
of Sweden conquered both Jutland,
Funen
and much of Zealand
before signing the Peace of Roskilde
in February 1658 which gave Sweden control of Skåne,
Blekinge,
Trøndelag
and the island of Bornholm. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having destroyed Denmark completely and in August 1658 he began a two-year long siege of
Copenhagen
but failed to take the capital. In the following peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm.

Denmark remained neutral during World War I. After the defeat of Germany, the
Versailles powers
offered to return the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism, Denmark refused to consider the return of the area without a
plebiscite. The two
Schleswig Plebiscites
took place on 10 February and 14 March, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Northern Schleswig (Sønderjylland) was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 km². The reunion day (Genforeningsdag) is celebrated every year 15 June on Valdemarsdag.

Denmark signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany in 1939. Germany's
invasion
of Denmark on 9 April 1940 – code named Operation Weserübung – met only two hours of military resistance before the Danish government surrendered. Economic co-operation between Germany and Denmark continued until 1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and
its navy
sank most of its ships and sent as many of their officers as they could to Sweden. During the war, the government was helpful towards the Danish Jewish minority, and the Danish resistance performed a rescue operation
that managed to get most of them to Sweden and safety shortly before the Germans planned to round up the Danish Jews. Denmark led many "inside operations" or sabotage against the German facilities.[citation needed]
Danish doctors refused to treat German citizens fleeing from Germany, which resulted in the deaths of 13,000 people.[30][31]
Danish citizens volunteered to fight Russia in cooperation with Germany as part of Frikorps Danmark.[32]Iceland
severed ties to Denmark and became an independent republic in 1944, and in 1948, the Faroe Islands
gained home rule.

Constitutional change in 1953 led to a single-chamber parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to the Danish throne and Greenland becoming an integral part of Denmark. The
Social Democrats (Denmark)
led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century in a country generally known for its liberal traditions. Poul Schluter
then became the first Danish prime minister from the Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
in 1982, leading a centre-right coalition until 1993, when he was succeeded by the Social Democrat Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. A new centre-right coalition headed by
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
came to power in 2001 promising tighter immigration controls. A third successive centre-right leader, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, was prime minister from 2009 to 2011. His government, dependent as it was on the right-wing populist People's Party to push through legislation, witnessed immigration and integration emerge as major issues of public debate. Social Democrat
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark's first female prime minister, took office in 2011, ending a decade of centre-right rule.

In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, joined the
European Economic Community
after a public referendum. The
Maastricht treaty
involving further European integration was rejected by the Danish people in 1992. It was only accepted after a second referendum in 1993 and the addition of certain opt-out concessions for Denmark. The Danes rejected the euro as the national currency in a referendum in September 2000. Greenland
gained home rule
in 1979 and was awarded self-determination
in 2009. Neither Greenland nor the Faroe Islands are members of the European Union, the Faroese declined membership of the EEC in 1973 and Greenland in 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies.

Denmark occupies an area of 43,094
square kilometres
(16,638.69 sq mi).[36][37]
The size of the land area of Denmark cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation
projects (to counter erosion). It shares a border of 68 kilometres with Germany to the south and is otherwise surrounded by 7,314 km (4,545 mi) of tidal shoreline
(including small bays
and inlets).[38]
No location in Denmark is further from the coast than 52 km (32 mi). On the southwest coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 m (3.28 and 6.56 ft), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 km (6.2 mi) stretch.[39]

Denmark's northernmost point is
Skagens
point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude; the southernmost is Gedser
point (the southern tip of Falster) at 54° 33' 35" northern latitude; the westernmost point is
Blåvandshuk
at 8° 4' 22" eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is Østerskær
at 15° 11' 55" eastern longitude. This is in the archipelago Ertholmene
18 kilometres northeast of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 kilometres (281 mi), from north to south 368 kilometres (229 mi).

The country is flat with little elevation; having an average height
above sea level
of 31 metres (102 ft). The highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 170.86 metres (560.56 ft). The area of inland water is 700 km2
(270 sq mi).

Phytogeographically, the Kingdom of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands) belongs to the
Boreal Kingdom
and is shared between the Arctic, Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the
Circumboreal Region. According to the
World Wide Fund for Nature, the territory of Denmark can be subdivided into two
ecoregions: the Atlantic mixed forests and Baltic mixed forests. The Faroe Islands are covered by the Faroe Islands boreal grasslands, while Greenland hosts the ecoregions of Kalaallit Nunaat high arctic tundra and Kalaallit Nunaat low arctic tundra.

Denmark has a
temperate
climate, characterised by mild winters, with mean temperatures in January and February of 0.0 °C(32.0 °F), and cool summers, with a mean temperature in August of
15.7 °C(60.3 °F).[40]
Denmark has an average of 121 days per year with precipitation, on average receiving a total of 712 millimetres (28 in) per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the driest.[40]

Because of Denmark's northern location, there are large seasonal variations in daylight. There are short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 8:45 am and sunset 3:45 pm, as well as long summer days with sunrise at 4:30 am and sunset at 10 pm.[41]

Denmark's green house gas emissions per dollar of value produced has been for the most part unstable since 1990, seeing sudden growths and falls. Overall though, there has been a reduction in gas emissions per dollar value added to its market.[45]
It lags behind other Scandinavian countries such as Norway[46]
and Sweden.[47]

The Kingdom of Denmark is a
constitutional monarchy, in which Queen
Margrethe II
is head of state, but royal power has long been limited to ceremonial functions.[48]
The monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and the monarch's person is sacrosanct.[49]
The Danish political system operates under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark. Changes to it require an absolute majority in two consecutive parliamentary terms and majority approval through a referendum (and the referendum majority constitutes at least 40 per cent of the electorate).[50]
The Constitution lays out a political system based on the separation of powers into the three branches of government; the legislative, the executive and the judiciary branches.

The
Folketing
is the national parliament, the supreme
legislative body
of the kingdom. In theory it has the ultimate legislative authority according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, it is able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors. However questions over sovereignty have been brought forward because of Denmark's entry into the
European Union. Parliament consists of 175 members elected by proportional majority, plus two members each from Greenland and the Faroe Islands.[51]
Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence, the parliament may force a single minister or the entire government to resign.[52]

The Danish political system has traditionally generated coalitions. Most Danish post-war governments have been minority coalitions ruling with the support of non-government parties.[53]

The
prime minister
is formally appointed by the monarch, on the advice of party leaders following an election or collapse of a government. In practice the prime minister is chosen through negotiation between the parliament party leaders, customarily with the leader of the largest party in a coalition being appointed. Executive authority is exercised on behalf of the monarch by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers
who head departments. The cabinet, prime minister and other ministers collectively make up the government of Denmark.

Judicial authority remains separate from the executive and legislature and lies with the
courts of justice. The Kingdom of Denmark does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark proper has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third.[54]
However, decisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. The Danish Supreme Court
is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in the kingdom.

Danish foreign policy is based on its identity as a sovereign nation in Europe. As such its primary foreign policy focus is on its relations with other nations as a sovereign independent nation. Denmark has long had good relations with other nations. It has been involved in coordinating Western assistance to the Baltic states (Estonia,[56]Latvia, and
Lithuania).[57]
Following World War II, Denmark ended its two-hundred-year policy of neutrality. Denmark has been a member of
NATO
since its founding in 1949, and membership in NATO remains highly popular.[58]
There were several serious confrontations between the U.S. and Denmark on security policy in the so-called "footnote era" (1982–88), when an alternative parliamentary majority forced the government to adopt specific national positions on nuclear and arms control issues.[58]
With the end of the Cold War, however, Denmark has been supportive of U.S. policy objectives in the Alliance.

Denmark is today pursuing an active foreign policy, where human rights, democracy and other crucial values are to be defended actively. In recent years
Greenland
and The Faroe Islands
have been guaranteed a say in foreign policy issues such as fishing, whaling, and geopolitical concerns.

Denmark proper is divided into five
regions
(Danish:
regioner, singular:
region) and a total of 98
municipalities. The regions were created on 1 January 2007 to replace the
former counties. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, cutting the number of municipalities from 270 to 98. Most municipalities have a population of at least 20,000 people to give them financial and professional sustainability, although a few exceptions were made to this rule.[61]
The most important area of responsibility for regions is the national health service. Unlike the former counties, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes, and the health service
is primarily financed by a national health care contribution of eight percent (Danish:
sundhedsbidrag) combined with funds from both government and municipalities.[62]
Municipalities and regions are led by directly elected councils, elected every four years. The last Danish local elections
were held on 17 November 2009.

The Kingdom of Denmark is a
unitary state, however the
Faroe Islands
and Greenland
were granted home rule
(political autonomy)[64]
in 1948 and 1979 respectively, having previously had the status of counties.[65][66]
Extensive powers have been devolved
to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which have their own governments and legislatures and are effectively self-governing
in regards to domestic affairs.[66]
However, the devolved legislatures are subordinate to the Folketing
where the two territories are represented by two seats each. High Commissioners
(Danish:
Rigsombudsmand) act as representatives of the Danish government.[66]
The Faroe Islands are defined to be a community of people within the kingdom, and the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.[67][68]

As a result of its acclaimed "flexicurity" model, Denmark has the most free
labour market
in Europe, according to the World Bank. Employers can hire and fire whenever they want (flexibility), and between jobs, unemployment compensation is very high (security). The World Bank ranks Denmark as the easiest place in Europe to do business. Establishing a business can be done in a matter of hours and at very low costs.[75]
Denmark has a competitive company tax
rate of 25% and a special time-limited tax regime for expatriates.[76]
The Danish taxation system is broad based, with a 25% VAT, in addition to excise taxes, income taxes and other fees. The overall tax burden (sum of all taxes, as a percentage of GDP) is estimated to be 46% in 2011.[77]

Denmark is part of the Schengen Area and the EU single market, although it has opted out of the Eurozone.

Support for
free trade
is high – in a 2007 poll 76% responded that globalisation is a good thing.[84]
70% of trade flows are inside the European Union. Denmark has the 9th highest export per capita in the world. Denmark's main exports are: industrial production/manufactured goods 73.3% (of which machinery and instruments were 21.4%, and fuels, chemicals, etc. 26%); agricultural products and others for consumption 18.7% (in 2009 meat and meat products were 5.5% of total export; fish and fish products 2.9%).[37]
Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has for a number of years had a balance of payments
surplus while battling an equivalent of approximately 39% of GNP foreign debt
or more than 300 billion DKK.[85]

StatBank
is the name of a large statistical database maintained by the central authority of statistics in Denmark. Online distribution of statistics has been a part of the dissemination strategy in Denmark since 1985. By this service, Denmark is a leading country in the world regarding electronic dissemination of statistics. There are about 2 million hits every year.

Denmark has considerable sources of oil and natural gas in the
North Sea
and ranks as number 32 in the world among net exporters of crude oil[86]
and was producing 259,980 barrels of crude oil a day in 2009.[87]
Most electricity is produced from coal, but 25–28% of electricity demand is supplied through wind turbines.[88]
Denmark is a long-time leader in wind energy, and as of May 2011[update]
Denmark derives 3.1% of its gross domestic product from renewable (clean) energy technology and energy efficiency, or around €6.5 billion ($9.4 billion).[89]
Denmark is connected by electric transmission lines
to other European countries. On 6 September 2012, Denmark launched the biggest wind turbine in the world, and adding four more the next four years.

Private vehicles are increasingly used as a means of transport. Because of the high registration tax (180%),
VAT
(25%), and one of the world's highest income tax rates, new cars are very expensive. The purpose of the tax is to discourage car ownership. The car fleet has increased by 45% over the last 30 years. In 2007 an attempt was made by the government to favor environmentally friendly cars by slightly reducing taxes on high mileage vehicles. However, this has had little effect, and in 2008 Denmark experienced an increase in the import of fuel inefficient old cars[93]
primarily from Germany, as the cost for older cars—including taxes—keeps them within the budget of many Danes. The average car age (year 2011) is 9.2 years.[94]

After deregulating the labour market in the 1990s, Denmark has one of the most free labour markets in European countries. According to World Bank labour market rankings, the
labour market flexibility
is at the same levels as the United States. Around 80% of employees belong to unions and the unemployment funds that are attached to them. Labour market policies are mainly determined in negotiations between the workers' unions and employers' unions, and the government only interferes if labour strikes extend for too long.

Despite the success of the trade unions, a growing number of people make contracts individually rather than collectively, and many (four out of ten employees) are contemplating dropping especially unemployment fund but occasionally even union membership altogether. The average employee receives a benefit at 47% of their
wage level
if they have to claim benefits when unemployed. With low unemployment, very few expect to be claiming benefits at all. The only reason then to pay the earmarked money to the unemployment fund would be to retire early and receive early retirement
pay (efterløn), which is possible from the age of 60 provided an additional earmarked contribution is paid to the unemployment fund.[99]

The
unemployment rate
for December 2007 was 2.7%, for a total of 74,900 persons, a reduction by 112,800 persons—2,400 per month—or 60% since December 2003.[100]
The Eurostat
unemployment number for August 2008 is 2.9%. Another measure of the situation on the labour market is the employment rate, that is the percentage of people aged 15 to 64 in employment out of the total number of people aged 15 to 64. The employment rate for Denmark in 2007 was 77.1% according to Eurostat. Of all countries in the world, only
Switzerland
with 78.% and Iceland
with 85.1% had a higher employment rate. Of the employed more than 38% (800,000 people)[101]
of the total workforce work in public sector jobs.

The number of unemployed is forecast to be 65,000 in 2015. The number of people in the
working age
group, less disability pensioners etc., will grow by 10,000 to 2,860,000, and jobs by 70,000 to 2,790,000;[102]part-time
jobs are included.[103]
Because of the present high demand and short supply of skilled labour, for instance for factory and service jobs, including hospital nurses and physicians, the annual average working hours
have risen, especially compared with the recession
1987–1993.[104]
Increasingly, service workers of all kinds are in demand, i.e. in the postal services
and as bus drivers, and academics.[105]
In the fall of 2007, more than 250,000 foreigners are working in the country, of which 23,000 still reside in Germany or Sweden.[106]
According to a sampling survey of over 14,000 enterprises from December 2007 to April 2008 39,000 jobs were not filled, a number much lower than earlier surveys, confirming a downturn in the economic cycle.[107]

The level of unemployment benefits is dependent on former employment (the maximum benefit is at 90% of the wage) and at times also on membership of an unemployment fund, which is almost always—but need not be—administered by a trade union, and the previous payment of contributions. However, the largest share of the financing is still carried by the central government and is financed by general taxation, and only to a minor degree from earmarked contributions. There is no taxation, however, on proceeds gained from selling one's home (provided there
was
any home equity
(friværdi)), as the marginal tax rate on capital income from housing savings is around 0%.[108]
In 2011, 13.4% of Denmark's population was reported to live below the poverty line.[109]

Denmark follows the
Nordic model
of a mixed economy, characterised by a large
welfare state, a high level of public expenditure and a universal social system (including
health care), financed by taxes and not by social contributions. The welfare model is accompanied by a taxation system that is both broad based (25% VAT, not including excise, duty and tax) and with a
progressive income tax
model, meaning the more money that is earned, the higher income tax percentage that gets paid (minimum tax rate for adults is 42% scaling to over 60%, except for the residents of Ertholmene
that escape the otherwise ubiquitous 8% healthcare tax fraction of the income taxes[110][111]). Other taxes include the registration tax on private vehicles, at a rate of 180%, on top of VAT. Lately (July 2007) this has been changed slightly in an attempt to favor more
fuel efficient
cars but maintaining the average taxation level more or less unchanged.[112]

The
median
age is 39.8 years, with 0.98 males per female. 98.2% of the population (age 15 and up) is literate. The birth rate
is 1.74 children born per woman (2006 est.). Despite the low birth rate, the population is still growing at an average annual rate of 0.33%.[37]
An international study conducted by Adrian White at Leicester University in 2006 showed that the population of Denmark had the highest life satisfaction in the world.[115]

According to official statistics from January 2013, 79.1%[119][120]
of the population of Denmark are members of the Church of Denmark
(Den danske folkekirke), a
Lutheran
church that was made the Established Church
and state religion by the Constitution.[121]
This is down 0.7% compared to the year earlier and 1.3% down compared to two years earlier. Despite the high membership figures, only 3% of the population regularly attend Sunday services.[122][123]

The Constitution states that a member of the
Royal Family
must be a part of the Established Church, though the rest of the population is free to adhere to other faiths.[124][125][126]
In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: Roman Catholicism,
the Reformed Church
and Judaism,[126]
although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially. Until the 1970s, the state formally recognised "religious societies" by royal decree. Today, religious groups do not need official government recognition in Denmark, they can be granted the right to perform weddings and other ceremonies without this recognition.[126]

Denmark's Muslims
make up approximately 3% of the population and form the country's second largest religious community and largest minority religion.[122][130]
As of 2009 there are nineteen recognised Muslim communities in Denmark.[130][131]
As per an overview of various religions and denominations by the Danish Foreign Ministry, other religious groups comprise less than 1% of the population individually and approximately 2% when taken all together.[132]

According to the most recent
Eurobarometer Poll
2010,[133]
28% of Danish citizens polled responded that they "believe there is a God", 47% responded that they "believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 24% responded that they "do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force". Another poll, carried out in 2009, found that 25% of Danes believe Jesus is the son of God, and 18% believe he is the saviour
of the world.[134]

The Danish education system provides access to
primary school,
secondary school
and higher education. All college and university education in Denmark are free of charges; there are no tuition fees to enroll in courses. Students in secondary school or higher and aged 18 or above may apply for student support which provides fixed financial support, disbursed monthly. As of 2012 it is approximately 6000 DKR or $1000 pr. month.[136]
The Education Index, published with the
UN's
Human Development Index
in 2008, based on data from 2006, lists Denmark as 0.993, amongst the highest in the world, tied for first with Australia, Canada,
Finland
and New Zealand.[137]

Primary school in Denmark is called "Public School" (Folkeskole). Attendance at primary school is not compulsory, but most Danish children go to primary school for 10 years, from the age of 6 to 16. Whilst attending a primary school is not compulsory, receiving education at primary school-level is and must be provided for nine years. There are no final exams, but pupils in primary schools can choose to go to a test when finishing ninth grade. The test is obligatory if further education is to be attended. Pupils can alternatively attend "free schools" (Friskole), or private schools (Privatskole) – schools that are not under the administration of the
municipalities, such as
Christian schools
or Waldorf schools.

Danish universities and other higher education institutions offer international students a range of opportunities for obtaining an internationally recognised qualification in Denmark. Many programmes are taught in English, including Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, exchange and summer school programmes[138]

Along with Sweden and Norway, Denmark has a
universal health care
system, financed by taxes and not by social contributions. This system is largely financed through local (county and municipal) taxation with integrated funding and provision of health care
at the local (county) level. It is the most important area of responsibility for the local regions. Unlike the former counties, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes, and the health service is primarily financed by a national health care contribution of 8 percent (Danish:
sundhedsbidrag) combined with funds from both government and municipalities.[62]
Denmark spends 9.8 percent of GDP on healthcare. The life expectancy in Denmark is 78.6 years, and there is one doctor for every 294 persons in Denmark.[139]

Historically, Denmark, like its Scandinavian neighbors, has been one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. For example, in 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalise
pornography,[140]
and in 2012, Denmark replaced its "registered partnership" laws, which it had been the first country to introduce in 1989,[141][142]
with gender-neutral marriage.[143][144]
Modesty, punctuality but above all equality
are important aspects of the Danish way of life.[145]

Denmark's architecture became firmly established in the
Middle Ages
when first Romanesque, then
Gothic
churches and cathedrals sprang up throughout the country. From the 16th century, Dutch and Flemish designers were brought to Denmark, initially to improve the country's fortifications, but increasingly to build magnificent royal castles and palaces in the Renaissance
style. During the 17th century, many impressive buildings were built in the Baroque
style, both in the capital and the provinces. Neoclassicism
from France was slowly adopted by native Danish architects who increasingly participated in defining architectural style. A productive period of Historicism
ultimately merged into the 19th century National Romantic style.[146]

Smørrebrød
- a variety of Danish open sandwiches piled high with delicacies.

The
cuisine
of Denmark, like that of the other Nordic countries and of Northern Germany, consists mainly of meat and fish. This stems from the country's agricultural past, its geography, and its climate of long, cold winters. With 145.9 kg of meat per person consumed in 2002, Denmark has the highest consumption of meat per person of any country in the world.[148]

The open sandwiches, known as
smørrebrød, which in their basic form are the usual fare for lunch, can be considered a national speciality when prepared and decorated with a variety of fine ingredients. Hot meals traditionally consist of
ground meats, such as
frikadeller
(meat balls), or of more substantial meat and fish dishes such as flæskesteg
(roast pork with crackling) or kogt torsk
(poached cod) with mustard sauce and trimmings. Denmark is known for its Carlsberg
and Tuborg
beers and for its akvavit
and bitters
although imported wine is now gaining popularity.

Danish chefs, inspired by continental practices, have in recent years developed an innovative series of
gourmet
dishes based on high-quality local produce. As a result, Copenhagen and the provinces now have a considerable number of highly acclaimed restaurants of which several have been awarded Michelin stars.

Danish design is a term often used to describe a style of
functionalistic
design and architecture that was developed in mid-20th century, originating in Denmark. Danish design is typically applied to industrial design, furniture and household objects, which have won many international awards.

Danish philosophy has a long tradition as part of
Western philosophy. Perhaps the most influential Danish philosopher was
Søren Kierkegaard, the creator of
Christian existentialism. Kierkegaard had a few Danish followers, including
Harald Høffding, who later in his life moved on to join the movement of
positivism. Among Kierkegaard's other followers include
Jean-Paul Sartre
who was impressed with Kierkegaard's views on the individual, and Rollo May, who helped create
humanistic psychology. Another Danish philosopher of note is
Grundtvig, whose philosophy gave rise to a new form of non-aggressive nationalism in Denmark, and who is also influential for his theological and historical works.

Danish cinema
dates back to 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of product due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. The three big internationally important waves of Danish cinema have been the erotic melodrama of the
silent era, the increasingly explicit sex films of the 1960s and 1970s, and lastly, the
Dogme 95
movement of the late 1990s. Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical innovation. The Danish filmmaker Carl Th. Dreyer
(1889–1968) is considered one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema.[151]

While Danish art was influenced over the centuries by trends in Germany and the Netherlands, the 15th and 16th century
church frescos
which can be seen in many of the country's older churches are of particular interest as they were painted in a style typical of native Danish painters.[152]

Danish photography has developed from strong participation and interest in the very beginnings of the
art
in 1839 to the success of a considerable number of Danes
in the world of photography
today. Pioneers such as Mads Alstrup
and Georg Emil Hansen
paved the way for a rapidly growing profession during the last half of the 19th century while both artistic and press photographers made internationally recognised contributions. Today Danish photographers such as Astrid Kruse Jensen
and Jacob Aue Sobol
are active both at home and abroad, participating in key exhibitions around the world.[157]

Other popular sports include golf—which is mostly popular among those in the older demographic;[162]
tennis—in which Denmark is successful on a professional level; rugby—the Danish Rugby Union
dates back to 1950;[163]
rowing—Denmark specialize in light-weight rowing and are particularly known for their light-weight coxless four, having won six gold and two silver World Championship medals and three gold and two bronze Olympic medals; and several indoor sports—especially badminton,
handball,
table tennis
and gymnastics, in each of which Denmark holds World Championships and Olympic medals. Denmark's numerous beaches and resorts are popular locations for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and many other water-themed sports.

As of January 2012[update], the
national handball team
are the current reigning European champions. On the men's side, they have won five medals—two gold (in 2008 and 2012) and three bronze (in 2002, 2004 and 2006)--the most that have been won by any team in European Championship history.

^Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke
has been adopted by Margrethe II as her personal motto.[1]

^
abThe Kingdom of Denmark's territory in
continental Europe
(i.e. Jutland and the proximate surrounding islands) is referred to as "Denmark proper", "metropolitan
Denmark"[2]
or simply (and most commonly) "Denmark". In the main body of this article, "Denmark" refers to the European territory excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

^Danish is official in Denmark proper and co-official in the Faroe Islands, but not in Greenland; Greenlandic is the sole official language in Greenland. German is recognised as a protected minority language in the South Jutland area of Denmark.

^Denmark – Constitution
– Part VII – Section 70: "No person shall for reasons of his creed or descent be deprived of access to complete enjoyment of his civic and political rights, nor shall he for such reasons evade compliance with any common civic duty."